Have you ever noticed how sometimes you see or hear things that others don’t? Or how you tend to notice more of the things that you are interested in or care about? For example, if you are thinking of buying a new car, you may suddenly see that car everywhere on the road. Or if you are learning a new word, you may hear it more often in conversations or media. This is not a coincidence, but a result of how your brain works.
Your brain is constantly bombarded with sensory information from your environment, such as sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch. However, your brain cannot process all of this information at once, as it would be too overwhelming and exhausting. Therefore, your brain has a filtering system that decides what information to pay attention to and what to ignore. This filtering system is called the Reticular Activating System (RAS).
The RAS is a network of nerve cells that runs through your brainstem, connecting your spinal cord, your cerebellum, your thalamus, and your cerebral cortex. It acts as a gatekeeper for your conscious awareness, and it is influenced by your beliefs, your goals, your emotions, and your expectations. The RAS filters out the information that is irrelevant or unimportant to you and lets in the information that is relevant or important to you.
The RAS helps you focus on what matters and ignore what doesn’t. It also helps you switch between different states of consciousness, such as wakefulness, sleep, and dreaming. The RAS is essential for your survival, as it helps you react to threats and opportunities in your environment.
However, the RAS also has a downside. It can create a biased and distorted view of reality, based on your existing beliefs. This is because the RAS tends to look for and highlight the information that confirms your beliefs and ignore or downplay the information that contradicts your beliefs. This is called confirmation bias, and it can affect your perception, your memory, your decision making, and your behavior.
For example, if you believe that you are not good at math, you may notice more of your mistakes and failures in math and forget or dismiss your successes and achievements. This will reinforce your belief that you are not good at math, and make you avoid or give up on math-related tasks. On the other hand, if you believe that you are good at math, you may notice more of your strengths and accomplishments in math and overlook or rationalize your errors and difficulties. This will reinforce your belief that you are good at math, and make you pursue or enjoy math-related tasks.
The RAS can also affect your self-esteem, your relationships, your health, and your happiness. For example, if you believe that you are unworthy of love, you may notice more of the signs and behaviors that confirm your belief, such as rejection, criticism, or indifference from others. You may also ignore or misinterpret the signs and behaviors that contradict your belief, such as affection, praise, or interest from others. This will reinforce your belief that you are unworthy of love, and make you feel lonely, insecure, or depressed. On the other hand, if you believe that you are worthy of love, you may notice more of the signs and behaviors that confirm your belief, such as acceptance, appreciation, or attention from others. You may also disregard or explain away the signs and behaviors that contradict your belief, such as conflict, disagreement, or distance from others. This will reinforce your belief that you are worthy of love, and make you feel confident, happy, and fulfilled.
The RAS can also affect your goals, your dreams, and your success. For example, if you believe that you can achieve your goals, you may notice more of the opportunities and resources that can help you achieve them. You may also take more action and overcome more challenges to reach your goals. This will reinforce your belief that you can achieve your goals, and make you more motivated, persistent, and successful. On the other hand, if you believe that you cannot achieve your goals, you may notice more of the obstacles and limitations that can prevent you from achieving them. You may also take less action and give up more easily on your goals. This will reinforce your belief that you cannot achieve your goals, and make you more discouraged, resigned, and unsuccessful.
The RAS is therefore a powerful part of your brain that filters your reality and reinforces your beliefs. It can be your ally or your enemy, depending on what you believe. The good news is that you can change your beliefs, and thus change your reality. By becoming aware of your limiting beliefs, challenging their validity, and replacing them with more positive and empowering beliefs, you can reprogram your RAS and your brain to work in your favor. You can create a reality that supports your growth, your happiness, and your success. Remember, you are not a victim of your circumstances, but a creator of your reality. And you can create any reality that you want. 🌟
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